OK, in our humble opinion, no football team compares to Michigan. But when the Wolverines play the Hokies in the Sugar Bowl, it will be the first time the two football teams ever meet—and it’s going to be one heck of a matchup.
Here’s how we think the Hokies stack up.
The Team
The Virginia Tech football team is led by Frank Beamer, who has been head coach at his alma mater since 1987. Under his direction, the team has four ACC titles, six BCS appearances, and a trip to a national championship game.
One of his specialties? Creating scoring opportunities for the whole team—including the defense and special teams—a style of play that Hokies call Beamer Ball.
This year, the two biggest threats on offense are quarterback Logan Thomas and tailback David Wilson. Thomas has had a breakout year with great passing and good rushing stats, and Wilson is third in the nation for rushing.
“I’ve seen (U-M quarterback) Denard (Robinson) do his magic, and I think he’ll balance out Wilson and Thomas,” says Dennis Jones, ’66, a U-M football player in 1961-65 and huge U-M fan who has taught architecture for 23 years at Virginia Tech. “I think it will come down to who scores least, not who scores most.”
The Tradition
Tradition is one of the truest measures of Michigan’s greatness. It’s worth noting, however, that Virginia Tech is no slouch in this area, either.
Considering how long each program has been building its legacy in its own corner of the country, the first meeting is certainly historic. The University of Michigan was founded in 1817, its football team in 1879. Virginia Tech was founded in 1872, its football team in 1892.
How about records? Since the beginning of the 1995 season, Virginia Tech has more wins than any other FBS team and is a consistent finisher in the top 20. And its all-time record is strong, with 679 wins for a winning percentage of more than 60 percent.
But in the end, it pales in comparison. Michigan has more wins overall than any other team, with 894, and a winning percentage of more than 73 percent. And while Tech has competed for a national championship—losing to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl in 2000 (with Michael Vick as quarterback)—Michigan has 11, including as recently as 1997.
Virginia Tech has participated in 19 consecutive bowl appearances. Leading up to 2008, Michigan had 33. Some experts are predicting Tech will be hungrier for a win on January 3 because they’re coming off a loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship and Michigan is coming off a win against Ohio State. What they underestimate is how much it means to Michigan to get back on track as a bowl champion.
The Fans
Michigan edges out its opponent here, too, but Tech has its strengths. Michigan Stadium is the biggest in college football, selling out more than 109,901 seats every game. Lane Stadium, on the other hand, has a reputation for being the loudest in college football, selling out 66,233 seats every game.
“Hokies love football,” admits Leigh McCue, MSE’01, PhD’04, a U-M grad and Virginia Tech engineering professor. “Beamer is a class act and I think many of us feel confident he’ll lead VT to a national championship someday in the not-too-distant future. However, VT fans could stand to learn something from Michigan fans about how to do a proper “wave” in the stadium. More cowbell.”
Who will make a better showing in New Orleans? Dennis Jones, ’66, bleeds blue—he’s been wearing his U-M letterman sweater to his Virginia Tech lectures lately—but he projects Tech will win in fan support. He says Virginia Tech brought more fans to the Superdome for the 2005 Sugar Bowl than opponent Auburn, despite Auburn’s proximity to New Orleans.
Our (rather educated) guess? Michigan fans will make a great showing. U-M Athletics sold more than 13,000 tickets in the first day, and the Alumni Association may soon have to use a waiting list for some of its bowl tour packages. Thousands are expected at the Association’s tailgate party.
“I think everyone is really excited about it,” said U-M fan Gary Muehlig, who is going to the game with his sister, Carol Muehlig, ’70. “If you’d told me before the season that we’d beat Nebraska and Ohio State back to back, I wouldn’t have believed it. If that doesn’t tell you Michigan is back, then I don’t know what you need.”
There are many ways the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan can help you experience the Sugar Bowl, including through our official bowl tour, game-day packages, and tailgate.
“If you’re going on a bowl game trip, then the Alumni Association is the way to go,” said Muehlig, who has been going with the Association since the 1970s. “The people who go on these are all in for Michigan.”
What’s a Hokie?
There’s one more thing you probably should know: What the heck is a Hokie? It started as a “spirit yell” (think fight song), but instead of “Rah, rah!” it was “Hoki, Hoki, Hokie, Hy.” The mascot for the school is the HokieBird, which is like a turkey and is based on the school’s original nickname, the Fighting Gobblers.
All we can say is it’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine!
Join us for the Official Bowl Tour and Tailgate
Watch our Sugar Bowl video of 2011 season highlights
(Photo credit of Virginia Tech fan: Big Ed’s Photos)
